NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - After scoring 10 goals and securing a pair of shutouts, the Wilmington University men's soccer team swept the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Weekly Awards on Monday, as announced by the conference office.
Freshman forward Michiharu Takanashi was named both the CACC Player and Rookie of the Week after leading the offense while Tsubasa Abe was named the CACC Defensive Player of the Week and Charlie Phillips was named the CACC Goalkeeper of the Week after anchoring the defense.
Michiharu Takanashi (Ota City, Japan) scored four of the team's 10 goals last week, leading the offense to a 4-0 victory on the road at nationally No. 6 ranked Southern New Hampshire and a 6-0 CACC win against Dominican on Saturday. He scored the first two goals at SNHU and then scored the fourth and fifth goals against Dominican. It is the second time Takanashi has been named the CACC Rookie of the Week this year, but the first time earning the CACC Player of the Week award. Takanashi now has seven goals and three assists for 17 points on the season.
Tsubasa Abe (Kawagoe, Japan) moved to left back earlier this season and it has paid off for the Wildcats. Last week, he helped lead the defense to a pair of shutouts, only allowing 21 shots. He also stepped forward and gained an assist at SNHU, feeding Mylan Le Baut who made it 3-0 in the 56th minute. He now has two goals and five assists on the year for nine points.
Charlie Phillips (Norwich, England) recorded the first two shutouts of the season last week, making eight total saves. In the game against nationally ranked No. 6 Southern New Hampshire, Phillips made six stops for the first shutout of the season. He then made it two in a row with two saves against Dominican. He has now gone 184 minutes and 13 seconds without allowing a goal.
Women's soccer's Alyssa Ruggeri contributed on three of the team's four goals last week, scoring a goal and adding an assist to be named to the CACC Weekly Honor Roll.
The men's soccer team returns to action on Wednesday against No. 20 Mercy in the final nonconference contest in the regular season. The opening kick-off is set for 3:30 p.m. at the WU Athletics Complex.